Shell Shock
by suzie2b
Summary: There was only one survivor.


**Disclaimer:** _ **The Rat Patrol**_ **is not my property. They come out to play sometimes, then I send them home.**

 **Shell Shock**

 **By Suzie2b**

 **A convoy went missing on its return trip from delivering supplies to a camp near Tadmur. The Rat Patrol was sent to find them.**

 **They were taking a break in the cover of a waterhole. The fan belt on Hitch's jeep had jumped off and the two privates were getting it back on.**

 **Troy walked up and asked, "How much longer, Tully?"**

" **Shouldn't be more than a minute or two now."**

 **Moffitt was on watch when something caught his eye. He peered through the binoculars then called, "Troy! Come have a look at this!"**

 **The sergeant hurried out and took the binoculars, "What is it?"**

 **Moffitt pointed. "There … in the sky above those dunes."**

 **Troy looked and saw a half dozen or so vultures circling an area a few miles away. "You think it's a dead animal?"**

" **Could be, but that's quite a few vultures for it to be one dead animal. Most likely there's more of them on the ground as well."**

 **Hitch and Tully joined the sergeants. Hitch asked, "What's going on?"**

 **Troy said, "Vultures. They're circling something." He looked at Tully. "Jeep ready to go?"**

 **Tully nodded. "All set."**

" **Then we'd better go check it out."**

 **It wasn't long before they rolled to a stop at the top of a dune. The sight below them could only be described as a killing field. At least ten vehicles, American trucks and one lone German halftrack, were strewn haphazardly across the desert floor. Bodies dotted the landscape around the destroyed vehicles.**

 **Moffitt said quietly, "Looks like our missing convoy."**

 **Troy nodded and moved to man the 50 as he said, "Let's go take a look."**

 **Moffitt followed Troy's lead and Hitch and Tully slowly drove down the dune into the middle of the carnage. When they stopped, Troy hopped out of the back to look around at the bodies that were being picked clean by scavenging vultures. He took a machine gun out of its holster and said solemnly, "Look for survivors."**

 **They each took a machine gun and headed in different directions. After several minutes, the sergeants met up and Moffitt said, "By the look of thinks it happened maybe three days ago."**

 **Troy sighed. "Any idea who the Germans are?"**

 **Moffitt held up the German dog tags he'd collected. "It would appear a lieutenant by the name of Mauritz Lehmann was leading the attack. If I remember correctly, he was under Captain Dietrich's command."**

 **Troy looked at the dog tags with a frown. "That's odd."**

" **What is?"**

" **You found dog tags on the dead Germans … but I didn't see even one on any of the Americans."**

 **Before Moffitt could comment there was a burst of machine gun fire. Troy and Moffitt ran in the direction of the sound, meeting Hitch as they went. Troy asked the private, "Was that you?" Hitch shook his head. "Then it has to be Tully."**

 **Cautiously they walked around the trucks until they spotted Tully lying on the sand unconscious. A soldier stood over him, the machine gun in one hand and a bloody knife in the other. The uniform he wore was American and he had the dog tags of his dead buddies around his neck.**

 **Troy slowly stepped out into the open with Moffitt and Hitch staying out of sight to cover him. He said calmly, "Put the weapons down."**

 **The young man had a wild, wide-eyed look. Troy could see how tense he was—like an overwound spring ready to explode. The soldier worked the knife in his hand, turning it nonstop. He looked from Tully to Troy and asked, "Who are you?"**

" **Name's Sam Troy. I'm a sergeant. Tell me who you are?"**

" **Thompson … Private Joseph Thompson. Serial Number 18605815." His eyes darted around. "You alone?"**

" **Nope. My men are here covering me … you just can't see them." Tully groaned as he regained consciousness and Thompson jumped back, pointing the machine gun at the injured man. Troy said, "Stay where you are, Tully."**

" **Is he one of yours?"**

 **Troy nodded slowly. "Yes, he is. Looks like you hurt him."**

 **Thompson said, "I thought he was a German."**

" **Does he look German? Do I look German?" Thompson shook his head and Troy said, "Okay … you're safe now. Put the weapons down."**

 **Thompson's hand stilled on the hilt of the knife as he gripped it tightly. "Make the others come out where I can see them."**

 **Troy said, "Moffitt, Hitch, come on out. Slow with guns lowered."**

 **They stepped out from behind one of the trucks and Thompson asked, "Is that all of them?"**

" **Yes, there's just the four of us."**

" **And you're all American?"**

 **Troy glanced at Moffitt with a slight smile. "He's British, but we've gotten used to him. Now, drop the weapons, Joe."**

 **The young man said, "My name's Joseph. Never have liked being called Joe." Then he dropped the machine gun and knife.**

" **All right, Joseph. My two men here are going to walk over to you. Just stay perfectly still."**

 **A slight nod from Troy sent Moffitt and Hitch on their way. Hitch confiscated the weapons and held Thompson at gunpoint. Moffitt knelt next to Tully to inspect the knife wound in his side. He opened Tully's shirt and said, "It doesn't look too terribly deep and the bleeding had nearly stopped on its own."**

 **Troy joined them as Tully gritted his teeth and said, "He jumped me from behind that truck. Didn't see him until it was too late."**

 **Troy looked down at the wounded private. "Don't worry about it. We'll get you fixed up." He looked at Hitch. "Take Private Thompson to the jeeps and tie him up."**

 **Troy and Moffitt helped Tully up and followed the other two.**

 **While Moffitt got Tully cleaned, stitched, and bandaged, Troy questioned Thompson, who was in the back of the jeep with his hands tied in front of him. "Can you tell me what happened? You're nowhere near the route you were supposed to be on."**

 **Thompson's wild-eyed look was slowly being replaced with exhaustion. "I knew it. We were lost and Lieutenant Felts wouldn't admit it." He looked at Troy. "We were looking for a place to stop for the night when a German patrol came out of nowhere. We took off, scattered, hoping at least some of us would get away." Hitch put an uncapped canteen in the private's hands. He took a drink before he continued. "They had a tank and mortars, along with machine guns. All we had were our rifles. We didn't stand a chance."**

" **So you're the only survivor?"**

" **At first there were five of us. Willis and Gordon got killed when that halftrack got close enough to start lobbing grenades at us. Lawrence and Daryl decided to surrender, but when they dropped their rifles and stepped out with their hands up, they were gunned down."**

 **Troy was sympathetic. "What did you do then?"**

 **Thompson sighed. "I ran. Hid in one of the trucks, squeezed behind the seat, hoping they wouldn't find me. I heard the door open, but they didn't see me. I found a bag where I was hiding. It had three grenades in it." He took another drink of water. "I made my way back to where that halftrack was waiting. All the Germans were on board again and it was starting to pull away. I pulled the pins on all three of those grenades and threw them one after the other. Two landed in the halftrack … not sure where the third hit."**

 **There was a haunted look on the private's face as Troy said, "Okay, Joseph, you just relax. We'll be heading out of here pretty soon."**

 **Troy walked away to join Moffitt, Hitch, and Tully at the other jeep. Moffitt was just finishing off the bandage on Tully's side. "How's it going, Tully?"**

" **It's goin', sarge. Moffitt's got me fixed up."**

 **Moffitt smiled. "Luckily the wound isn't too bad. I cleaned it up good and put a few stitches in. He's going to have an ugly bruise on his cheek though."**

 **Tully looked a bit disgusted. "Yeah, after he stabbed me, he clocked me in the face with the hilt of the knife."**

 **Moffitt's expression turned serious. "Do you believe his story?"**

 **Troy shrugged. "No reason not to. But I think we'll keep him tied up for a while just to be on the safe side. From watching him, he looks like he could go into attack mode again."**

 **Hitch said, "He looks shell-shocked."**

" **He's the only survivor. He's been here for days while the vultures picked his friends' bodies clean." Troy sighed, then said, "Okay, let's get Tully into the jeep so we can get out of here."**

 **##################**

 **The jeeps pulled into a wadi an hour before sunset. Thompson seemed fearful as he was helped out of the jeep. "Can't we just keep going?"**

 **Hitch said, "It's safer if we stop for the night."**

 **Troy added, "We'll get some food and rest. We'll be at a field hospital by noon tomorrow." He looked at the private's face. He looked scared, but not threatening. "Hitch, untie him."**

 **Thompson swallowed nervously. "It gets awful dark out here at night."**

 **Tully moved carefully, holding his side. "Want me to take first watch?"**

 **Troy shook his head. "All I want you to do is rest. We'll handle things."**

" **The least I can do is make dinner."**

 **Troy looked at him. He knew how Tully hated to sit idly while the others were busy. He sighed. "All right, but let Hitch help. Moffitt can take first watch."**

 **Thompson asked, "What do you want me to do?"**

" **Just stay where we can see you."**

 **Troy built a fire while Hitch fussed around Tully as they made dinner. The sergeant watched Thompson move closer to the fire the darker it got. "You'd better be careful, Joseph. You're going to get burned."**

 **Thompson wrapped his arms around himself. "There's too many things in the dark that can hurt you and you'd never see 'em coming—like the ghosts of the people you couldn't save. Every time I close my eyes, I see them. I relive the whole thing over and over again. So I quit trying to sleep."**

" **So you slept during the day?"**

 **Thompson started to absently move his fingers through the dog tags around his neck. "No, had to watch for the Germans."**

 **Hitch and Tully looked up from their cooking worriedly as they realized Thompson hadn't slept in at least three days. Troy got a blanket out of the jeep and put it around the private's shoulders. "Well, you can sleep tonight. Nothing will get you with us here." He carefully reached for the dog tags. "Why don't I just hold onto those for you? You'll be more comfortable…"**

 **Thompson grasped the dog tags in a fist. "No! They're my friends."**

 **The night was quiet, with the exception of an occasional cackle from a hyena or the yips and barks of the jackals. Moffitt and Hitch were sleeping peacefully, as was Tully after a dose of morphine and an admonishment from Moffitt for overdoing things. Thompson slept restlessly when he slept at all.**

 **Troy was on watch. He leaned against one of the jeeps, the tip of his cigarette glowed as he inhaled. He looked over to see Thompson turn over and groan in his sleep where he lay near the low fire. The dog tags he still wore clinked softly as he moved. Troy dropped the cigarette and pushed it into the sand with the toe of his boot. Then he went to do a circuit around the camp.**

 **After he'd walked away, Thompson came awake with a jerk. He'd been dreaming again. He hated the dreams. He looked around, then sat up. He didn't know where he was. What he could see in the darkness wasn't familiar. Had he been captured? Did the Germans finally get him because he dozed off?**

 **Thompson notice the silhouettes of three sleeping people. Then he saw one of the jeeps and crept silently to it. In the back he found a long-bladed and very sharp knife. He smiled to himself as he silently thought, "I'll kill them and take the jeep. I'll get away and be safe."**

 **With the knife between his teeth, Thompson crawled to the first bedroll. Again the dog tags clinked as he moved.**

 **Tully sighed quietly and opened groggy eyes. He'd heard something and looked around without trying to sit up. He saw Hitch to his right, but he was sleeping soundly. The sound came to him again and he turned his head to the left in time to see a shape crouched over Moffitt, a knife raised to strike. Without another thought Tully rolled to his knees and lunged for what he thought must be a German or some other enemy.**

 **As Tully and Thompson went down and began to struggle, Moffitt and Hitch woke up. Suddenly, Tully was on his knees with Thompson under him, and with one hard punch, knocked him out. Pain flared as Tully grabbed his injured side and let himself fall sideways with a groan.**

 **Moffitt and Hitch were on their feet in a moment. Troy charged through some undergrowth into camp to see Moffitt leaning over Tully and Hitch checking on Thompson. "What happened?"**

 **Moffitt was opening Tully's shirt. "I'm not sure."**

 **Tully hissed with pain, then said through gritted teeth. "I woke up and saw someone with a knife gettin' ready to stab Moffitt. I just reacted."**

 **Troy handed Moffitt the flashlight he'd been carrying to inspect the private's wound. Moffitt said, "I appreciate that you saved my life, Tully, but you could've just yelled a warning."**

" **I suppose I messed up your work."**

 **Moffitt smiled. "Actually, the stitches held nicely. However, I'm sure you're in some pain after your tussle."**

 **Tully sighed. "It's not too bad."**

 **Troy looked at Moffitt. "Okay, you finish taking care of Tully. Hitch and I will take care of Thompson." He patted Tully on the shoulder. "We've got a few more hours before daylight, so get some rest."**

 **Troy and Hitch put Thompson in the back of a jeep. Troy looked at the still unconscious young man and said, "Tie him up. Hands and feet. When he comes to we'll see how he's behaving and decide how to handle things."**

 **When Thompson awoke, he was out of control. He had a crazed look about him and thought Troy and his men were Germans. All they could do was sedate him with morphine.**

 **##################**

 **Troy reported to the field hospital's commanding officer, Colonel Robinson, while Moffitt and Hitch got Tully and the sedated Thompson in to see doctors.**

 **After Troy told Colonel Robinson about the convoy and Thompson's condition, the colonel sighed and said, "It's unfortunate, sergeant. I doubt the kid will ever be the same."**

 **Troy set a pile of dog tags on the colonel's desk. "He was wearing these when we found him. I had to take them when he was unconscious. He wouldn't let anyone touch them otherwise."**

" **Thank you, sergeant. I think we're done here. Don't forget to get a written report to me. I'm sure you would like to check on your wounded man."**

 **When Troy arrived at the medical tent he found Tully buttoning his shirt with Moffitt and Hitch standing next to him. "What did the doctor say?"**

 **Moffitt said, "The doctor was satisfied with Tully's condition and the way the wound is healing." He held up a bottle of pills. "Antibiotics as a precaution. He's to take one twice a day."**

 **Troy smiled. "I'm sure you'll see to it he takes them."**

" **You bet I will."**

 **Tully said, "The doc said I should take it easy until the stitches come out in five or six days."**

" **How's Thompson?"**

 **Hitch said, "He started to come around when they brought him in on a stretcher. The medical staff wasn't too happy that we'd tied him up until he started fighting them."**

 **A nurse walked over to them and handed a bottle to Tully. "These are for pain. They're a little stronger than aspirin, but not as strong as morphine." She looked at Moffitt and said, "Your other friend has been sedated and placed in isolation for now."**

 **Troy asked, "Why does he have to be in isolation? He didn't seem to like being alone."**

" **It's really for the wellbeing of the other patients as well as his own. And when he's awake he won't be alone. We're sending for a psychiatrist. He should be here tomorrow."**

 **After the nurse left, Troy, Moffitt, Hitch, and Tully went outside. Hitch asked, "We're only a few hours from Ras Tanura. Are we going to head for base now?"**

 **Troy shook his head. "No need to rush. Tomorrow will be soon enough, as long as Tully's up for the ride."**

 **Tully nodded. "I'll be fine as long as Moffitt watches the bumps."**

 **Moffitt said, "I always watch the bumps."**

" **I know. That's why you manage to hit every one of them."**

 **##################**

 **The jeeps had been readied before breakfast with Hitch doing the heavy lifting and Tully checking belts and fluid levels. Troy and Moffitt joined them in the mess tent after filing their official report with Colonel Robinson.**

 **It was midmorning when they headed for the motor pool. They were passing by one of the hospital tents when two corpsmen brought out a stretcher with a sedated Private Thompson on it. He was loaded into an ambulance with a doctor and drove off.**

 **Another doctor stepped outside and Troy asked, "Was that the psychiatrist with Thompson?"**

 **The doctor nodded. "Yeah, he didn't waste any time getting here. Arrived before sunup."**

 **Moffitt watched the ambulance until it disappeared. "Where will he end up?"**

" **He's going to a facility in England for further evaluation, then he'll be sent to the states for treatment."**

 **Hitch asked, "Will he recover?"**

 **The doctor replied, "I've heard of worse cases going on to lead productive lives with the proper care."**

 **Tully nodded. "It's not his fault this happened to him. After what he saw and being the only survivor, he deserves another chance at life."**


End file.
